MANCHESTER -- Louis van Gaal has declared that Anthony Martial's best position is as a centre-forward -- despite picking the £36 million teenager on the left wing.
The Manchester United manager has been criticised for not using the most expensive teenager in footballing history as a striker while his side have gone on a 325-minute goal drought.
Martial was the last United player to score, in October's 1-1 draw with CSKA Moscow, and United face the Russian side again on Tuesday at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal has been using captain Wayne Rooney as his out-and-out striker but said his main dispute with Martial is because he believes the former Monaco player, who could end up costing United £58.8m, can also operate as a right winger, whereas the France international disagrees.
"What is his best position?" Van Gaal asked. "I think his best position is the striker's position but he has to develop himself well. He is very young but I think it is better to develop him in the striker's position than the left winger's position.
"It is not that I have said his best position is the left winger's position but he can play three positions, in his eyes, and that is left, and No. 10 and striker. He doesn't want to play No. 7 [as a right winger]. I am convinced he can do that also but that is another story."
Van Gaal said Martial is being used on the left because it is in the team's best interests.
"I am always thinking in the benefit of the team and not in the benefit of one player," he added. "I have to make decisions always dependable on the gameplan, the opponent and where are the weaknesses of the opponent and so on and so on."
Van Gaal has admitted that Martial, who scored 21 minutes into his United debut and was named the Premier League's player of the month for September, could suffer a dip in form.
He said he expected Memphis Depay, who will miss the CSKA game through injury, would have a difficult period.
The winger, a £25m arrival from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, has been left out of the Netherlands squad after losing his place in the United team.
But Van Gaal defended him, saying: "I have said that he is the greatest talent of his age. I have also said he is only 21. That is an age where you cannot expect consistency. He is in a phase of his career and he has to adapt to many things. I have expected this but I am also convinced he is coming back stronger than before.
"But we have to give him time like we have to give time to Anthony Martial when he is a bit lower in his shape [form]. Maybe Anthony Martial shall continue scoring goals and helping us to win the matches but I expect also that he shall have a dip in form."